wicks



' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sfieet. 1.

P. J. WIOKS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

PatentedMay 3 ATTORNEYS.

'(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. J, WIOKS." RAILWAY SIGNAL.

No. 362,409. Patented May 3, 1887.

WITNESSES: M 011:

' CQQ ATTORNEYS.

N Psr'cns. Phalo-Ullmgnphor. Wnihingmn. n.c.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'PIEEsoN J. WIoKs, OF GREEN POINT, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,409, dated May 3, 1887.

Application filed October 11, 1886. SerialNo. 215,936. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PIERSON J. Wrens, of Green Point, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Signal for Railway-Block Systems, of which the following isafull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric signals for railway-block systems, for which I filed an application March 12, 1886, Serial No. 196,378, which application was allowed on the 15th day of September, 1886.

The object of my invention is to sound auto matically an'alarm on trains when two or more tralns are in adjacent sections, the said trains being propelled by an electric motor which receives its electric current through acontinuous rail, which is also utilized for sounding the alarm.

The invention consists of three conductors, of which one is continuous, and is supplied from a central station, and supplies a current of electricity to the propelling-motor, and is also utilized for operating the electric signal.

The invention also consists of various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures Figure l is a plan View of my improvement, showing two trains running in the same direction on. the same track. Fig. 2' is a similar view of my improvement, showing two trains on the same track, but running toward each other. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of myimprovement. Fig. 4c is a vertical cross-section of a car provided with my improvement as represented in Figs. 1 and 2,and Fig. 5 is a similar view of a car provided with the modified form shown in Fig. 3.

My invention is specially adapted for railways in which the trains are propelled by an electric motor which receives its current from a central or main station by means of a continuous rail, which also acts as a conductor for the signal.

Between the railsA A of the track are arranged, on suitable supports, the conductors a,

conductor, through which passes a strong cur rent of electricity, supplied from-a central station by means of a dynamo machine, B, or other means. The conductors b and c are arranged to form-sections of any desired length,

by a metallic strip, d, with the conductor a of the following section.

On the bottom of the car WV is mounted, in a suitable hanger, the contact-wheel D, which is asecond contact-wheel is mountedin the hangers O and O and is provided with two rims, E and F, which are insulated from each other, and of which the rim E is in contact with the conductor 1) and the rim F is in contact with the conductor 0. From the hanger 0 leads a wire, G, to the electric motor H, of any approved construction, located in the said car W, and propelling the same in any suitable manner. The electric motor H is connected by the wire I with one of the rails A, so as to establish the necessary circuit or ground. The wire G also connects with the switch J. A similar wire, G, leads from the hanger O,. which is connected with the rim E to the alarm K, located in the car \V, and being of any approved construction; and a third wire, G, connects the said alarm K with the hanger G which is connected with the rim F. The switch J is arranged so as to connect the wire G with .eitheetheyvire G or the wire G according to the directioii i-n which the train is running. Thus when atrain goes westward the switch J G with the wire G, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and when the train runs eastward the switch J is turned to the left, so as to connect the wire G with the wire G, as shown in Fig. 2 in the train III.

The motor H is supplied with a current of of the contact-wheel D, from which passes the electric current to the hanger O, and by means of the wire G to, the motor H, and a returncznductor is established by the wire I, which 0 nnects with the rails A, which are grounded in the usual manner.

The operation is as follows: The conductors as arranged in Figs. 1 and 2 are for single tracks on which the trains are running in the b, and c, of which a is the main continuous same and in opposite'directions. hen the and the conductor 1) is connected at one end held in. contact with the main conductor a, andis turned to the right,so as to connect the wire electricity from the main conductor a by means.

two trains I and II travel in the same direction, as indicated by the arrow ct in Fig. 1, then the alarm K in the train II will ring as soon as this train travels upon the section next to the section in which the train I is moving.

The electric circuit is as follows: From the conductor a to the contact-wheel D of train I, to the hanger O, and by means of the wire G to the switch J, from there by the wire G to the contactwheel E, and then to the conductors b, d, and c, and from the latter to the rim F of train II, and then to the hanger O and wire G to the alarm Kipn said train II, and to the wire G, the switch J, and the wire G, to the motor H, from which the current is passed by the wire I to the rails A, thus cstablishing a circuit. As the electric current which operates the motor is very powerful, a portion of the same may return to the main conductor, after passing through the alarm K of train II, by means of the wire G, the switch J, and by the wire G to the contact-wheel D and to the said main conductor. Thus it will be seen that the alarm in train II rings, while the alarm in train I is silent. When the two trains III and IV are traveling on the same rails toward each other, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the switch J in train III connects the wire G with the wire G, then as soon as the trains occupy adjacent sections the alarms K in both trains III and IV will ring simultaneously, thus warning the two engineers of the approaching danger. The electric current which operates both alarms is established as follows: The electric current passes from the conductor a to the contact-wheel D of train IV and up through the hanger G, and by means of the wire G, switch J, wire G, alarm K, and wire G to the hanger O and the contact-rim F, from which the electric current passes through the conductors c, d, and b, and by means of the latter to the rim E, and up through the hanger O and the wire G to the alarm K of train III, from which it passes by means of the wire G to the switch J, passing from there to the wire G and to the motor H, and from the latter by the wire I to the rail A, which is grounded. Thus it will be seen that the two alarms K in both the trains III and IV ring when the trains occupy adjacent sections and are moving toward each other. At a switch I provide switch-rails N and N, with a connecting-bar, O, which carries aflcxible metallic strip, 1?, insulated from the said bar 0, and connected by the flexible conductor Q, with the conductor 1) of its respective section, and a contact-point, R, is placed on the main conductor a, so that when the switchrails N and N are moved, so as to allow the train to pass upon the said track, then the me tallic strip P will form a contact with the conductor a, thus connecting the conductors a and I), so that a train entering an adjacent section from the section in which the switch or siding is located from either direction will receive the usual signal through the alarm K.

The alarm-connection of train I, Fig. i], as

it enters the adjacent section to that of the open switch, is as follows: The metallic strip P, being pressed against the contact-point B, connects the conductors b and a, and the current passes from the main conductor a through the contact-point R to the strip 1?, and by means of the flexible conductor Q to the conductor b, and from thelatter to the conductors d and c and to the rim F of train I, and by means of the wire G", the alarm K, and thc wire G to the switch J, from which it passes by means of the wire G to the motor II, and from the latter by means of the wire I to the rail A, thus giving the usual signal. When the switch is restored to its proper position, then the connection between the conductors b and c is broken and the alarm K of train I will cease to ring.

In Figs. 3 and 5 is represented the position of the conductors as used on double tracks on which the trains pass only in one direction on one of the tracks. In this arrangement I place the conductors a and b alongside of each other, so that the contact-wheel D connects the said conductors a and b, and I thus dispense with the insulated rim E, the hanger O, and the wire G altogether, and while the rim or contact-wheel F remains in contact with the conductor 0 and connects with the alarm K by the wire G the hanger G connects the contact-wheel D by the wire G with the alarm K and with the motor H. The switch J permits of connecting these contact-wheels F and D with the wires G and G with the motor H but such a change of position with the switch J is only necessary when the heading of the car \V is changed so as to bring the wheel F in contact with the conductors a and b, and

the wheel D in contact with the conductor 0.

Vhen the two trains occupy the position represented in Fig. 3, then the electric current is as follows: The contact-wheel I) of train I forms a connection between the conductors a and I) of that section, and when the train II enters the adjoining section then the current passes from the conductor a to the conductor 1), through the wheel D, and then to the conductors (Z and c to the contact-wheel F of train II, and by the hanger C to the wire G and to the alarm K, from which it passes by means of the wire G to the switch J and to the motor H, from which it passes by means of the wire I to the rail A, thus warning the engineer of train II that the preceding section is occupied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric signal for a block system for railways, three conductors, c, b, and c, of which the main conductor a is continuous, and the conductor 1) connects with the conductor cat the end of every section, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an electric signal for a block system for railways, three conductors, a, I), and c, of which the main conductor a is continuous and I supplies the electric current for the signal, and

also forthe electric motor on the train, and the conductor b connects with the conductor 0 at the end of every section substantially as shown as described. 7

3. In an electric signal for a block system for railways, the three conductors a, b, andc, in combination with contact-wheels connected with an alarm in the car, and with an electric motor supplied from the main conductor a, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an electric signal for a block system for railways, the three conductors a, b, and c, in combination with the contact-wheels in contact with the said conductors an alarm placed in the car and connectcdwit-h the said contactand described.

PIERSON J. WICKS.

Witnesses:

BARRINGTON LA F. BRANNAN, WM. E. DEMAREST. 

